@twoinanddone We didn’t have POD accounts, but we did have joint accounts with the kids opened when they started highschool so they had a debit card (different from their little savings accounts for random gift money opened when they were born). Both were set up for the auto transfers all through college and it was very handy to have the link to push extra money for the quarter abroad. Just a few days after DS graduated college, he said he should get rid of the high school account and we went together and closed it and he opened a new one. I actually think it was still labeled “for students” and he felt he shouldn’t have it, but it could have been a privacy issue as well since he is very private. On the other hand DD is still on that joint account (but auto transfers stopped long long ago… )of course she WAS still a student until last month; grad school took a long time. We’ve never said anything at all about spending either in high school (other than the general advice to watch for fraud, overdraught costs and blah blah blah) or later. Just different strokes for different folks. Both kids are very careful with their money, but DS keeps much better track of his and has investments (of course he also has a salary). DD leaves her money not working for her way too much and drives her dad crazy. I hear you on the kids being different and one generally taking a harder road if it is available.
So not only families do different things, kids IN the same family do different things. I don’t see anything dire about either situation!